Railroad-gate.



S; SWANSON.

RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-8. 1911.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-5HEET I.

awe/Whom 5. Swanson S. SWANSON.

RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-8, 19w.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 6. S Wan-$017 am/Mamas 7AA noun nuns ca. Pnmuynm. wasulucva". uv n SWAN SWANSON, OF HOBART, WASHINGTON.

RAILROAD-GATE.

fipeeiflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1c, 1918.

Application filed December 8, 1917. Serial No. 206,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SWAN SWANSON, a citizen of Sweden, residing at Hobart, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Gates, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway gate operating mechanisms and the principal object of the .invention is to provide an apparatus operated by the closing of an electric circuit, said circuit being closed by the train coming in contact with a member located adj acent the track.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate normally held in raised position by gravity and magnetic means for holding said gate in lowered position.

Among other features the invention includes a motor for lowering the gate, magnetic means for holding the gate in lowered position, means for switching the current from the motor to the magneticmeans when the gate reaches its lowest position, a member adapted to be operated by the train for completing the circuit, and a second member operated by the train for breaking said circuitto permit the parts to return to their normal position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which 'is simple and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation and one which can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a minimum cost.

The invention consists in certain other features of construction and in the combina tionand arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended. claims.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which e Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view'of. the invention.

which said toothed wheel engages.

Fig. 2,is an enlarged view of the train operated device, the casing therefor being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged view of the gate operating mechanism.

As shown in these vlews 2 represents the gate supporting housing and 1 the gate which is pivotedto said housing at 3. The extended lower end of said gate is provided with a receptacle 4 which is adapted to receive cement or other material to form a counter-weight, such material being of greater weight than the long end of the gate so as to hold said gate in raised position. Within the housing is located an electric motor 5 the shaft of which extends through the housing and is provided with a toothed wheel 6, said wheel being so mounted on theshaft as to have free move- 'ment in onedirection so that the gate may return to itsraised position without operating the motor. 7 indicates a semi-circularratchet member located on the gate with 8 indicates an arm carried by the gate and having one end bent at right angles as at 9 and .being formed of suitable material to provide an armature for cooperating with the magnet 10 carried by the housing. 11 is a contact plate secured to the housing and connected with the magnet by the wire 12, and 13 is a spring contact carried by the gate and adapted to engage with said plate 11 when the gate is in its lowered position. 14: is a curved contact plate located on the housing and connected with the motor by the wire 15; and 16 is a curved ,plate carried by the gate and adapted to contact with the plate 14 in the raised position of the gate and to remain in contact with said plate until the gate nears the end of its downward movement. The plate 16 is connected with the spring contact 13 by the wire 17.

The train operating device for completing the electric circuit to the motor consists of a at a suitable point adjacent the track. The

the flexible connection 22 and 'suitablyisup-' ported withinthe casing. The lever 18 carries a magnet 24 and a contact 25 which is connected to the magnet by means of the wire 26; 3 :The magnet isiconnected -bya"w1re 27 to a battery 28 and theother pole of this battery 28 is connected by a wire 29 with the plate 16 carried bythe gate. 30 indicates an armpivoted on the pin 19 carried by the casing 20 and said arm is provided with a contact31'and an armature 32. 33 indicates a -spring secured to the casing and engaging with the outer end of said arm. The casing 20 is provided with a rounded top which is closed by a sliding cover 20' having an opening therein through which the upper end of the lever 18 extends. This casing is to be located in a pit below the track and the casing is secured in position by means of a pair of bars 20* each having oneend bent up and secured to the casing and its other end curved upwardly to form a groove to engage the bottom of one'of the rails, the other side of the rail being engaged by a strip 20 se cured to the part 20*. At a convenient .point along the track I locate another casing similar to that indicated at 20 and containin a pair of curved contact plates 34 suitab y insulated from the casing and having their adjacent ends spaced apart. One of these plates is connected with the contact 31 by the wire 35 and the other plate is connected by the wire 36 with the motor and magnet 10 on the gate. Within this casing is also pivoted a lever 37 similar to the lever 18 and provided with the rollers and spring as before. The upper end of this lever projects through the casing and is located close to the rail so as to be struck by a train. 38 indicates a spring contact carried by the lever 37 and adapted to engage'witheach of the plates 34 and in the normal position of the lever 37 will bridge the space between said plates.

As the train approaches the crossing guarded by the gate it will strike the lever 18 vso as to rock the same on its pivot 19 and the contacts '25 and 31 will come into engagement so as to complete the circuit and thus energize the magnet '24. This Wlll cause the armatures 32 to adhere to the magnet so that'alter the passage of the train the spring 21 will return the lever 18 to normalposition and the arm '30 will be carried withiti. Thus-the contacts :31'fand 25 are ldjinsn sem 'the th cir w the motor will be completed and said motor operated. Thus the gate will be lowered. When the gate reaches its lowest position the contact plate 16 will leave the plate 14 thus breaking the circuit to the motor and at the same time the spring contact 13 will contact with the plate 11 so as to switch the current to the magnet 10. This will cause the armature carried by the part 9 to adhere to the magnet and thus hold the gate in it's lowered position. As the train passes the crossing it will come in contact with the lever 371 thus moving the same so as to break the contact between the plates 34 and thus break the circuit. The space between the plates 34 is suflicient to permit the spring to return the arm 30 to normal position due to the magnet 24 being denergized so that when the arm 37 is returned to normal position the circuit is broken by. the disengagement of the contacts 25 and 31. The magnet 10 being denergized the gate will be returned to its raised position by the counter weight 4. Thus the plates 16 and 14 will be placed in engagement again ready 'for'the next movement of the operating lever.

As shown the device is adapted to be used on a single track railway andit will be understood thata pair of operating levers 18 will be used so that the gatewillrbe operated by a train coming from either direction. Only a single lever 37 is necessary as said lever may be placed-adjacent the crossing so that .the current will be broken as the train is passing the crossing. It will of course be understood that the device may be adapted for use on double track railways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desireit to be understood that I may make slight changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes cuit including said contacts and the motor,

an armature carried by the arm, and a magnet carried bythe lever and located in the circuit, and adapted to engage with the {armature when energized toholdthe contactsin operative position.

2. A'de'vice of the class described comprising a gate, a'inotor'for closing the same, apivot'ed lever'adaptedto be struck bythe train, a pivoted arm adjacent the lever, conis energized, means for returning the lever tacts carried by said arm and lever, a magnet to normal position, and means operated by carried by the lever, an electric circuit includthe train for breaking the circuit to permit 10 ing said motor, the contacts and said magnet, the arm to be disengaged from the magnet.

5 an armature on the arm adapted to engage In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

with the magnet to hold the contacts in engagement with each other when the magnet SWAN SWANSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatent Washington, D. G. 

